Late 11-0 run: Ludwigsburg defeats Hagen despite Kunkel’s performance

Phoenix Hagen held their own against Ludwigsburg for a long time, but ultimately had to admit defeat, losing 79–93. Even Adam Kunkel’s 25 points were not enough for the newly promoted side. The game was only decided in the final minutes.

Phoenix Hagen have suffered another defeat in the easyCredit BBL. The newly promoted side lost 79–93 to Ludwigsburg on Friday evening in front of their home crowd, even though coach Chris Harris’s team were on a par with their opponents for long stretches of the match. It was only in the final minutes that the visitors pulled decisively ahead. Even a strong performance from Adam Kunkel, who was the game’s top scorer with 25 points, could not prevent Hagen’s seventh defeat.

It was a closely fought contest from the outset. Ludwigsburg got off to a slightly better start and went into the first quarter break with a 21–18 lead. Hagen, however, were largely unfazed by this. Kunkel, in particular, found his rhythm early on and scored several three-pointers in the first half. With 18 points at half-time, the guard led his team to a 29–24 lead in the second quarter. As a result, the newly promoted side went into the break with a narrow 47–45 lead.

Ludwigsburg strikes in the closing stages

Even after the break, the match remained evenly balanced. Ludwigsburg retook the lead early on thanks to a three-pointer from Ishmael Leggett (19), whilst Hagen fought back with baskets from Kunkel and Bjarne Kraushaar, amongst others. Neither team was able to pull away. After 30 minutes, the visitors were ahead 67–65, but Hagen remained tenacious even in the final quarter. Another three-pointer from Kunkel brought the home side to within one point at 74–76. With around four minutes remaining, Fabian Bleck even narrowed the gap to 77–78 with a free throw.

However, Hagen lacked the necessary composure in the decisive phase. Whilst Ludwigsburg regained some breathing space thanks to Thomas Rutherford and Darius Perry (16), the newly promoted side fought their way back to 79–82 through Tim Uhlemann. The hosts were not to get any closer. Leggett and David Joplin (18) scored in the ensuing attacks, with Justin Kier (20 points, 5 assists) putting the finishing touches on the game with a three-pointer to make it 93–79. Ludwigsburg ended the match with an 11–0 run and won the final quarter convincingly 26–14.

For Hagen, this means their situation at the bottom of the table is becoming increasingly dire: the newly promoted side have two wins and seven defeats after nine games. Ludwigsburg improve their record to 5–4 and remain in touch with the top half of the table.